Kicking the Seat

The outer boundaries of Hammerland are in sight, but no daring escape would be complete without a blown tire at the worst possible moment; that blown tire is the 1956 Quatermass knock-off X The Unknown!

Co-directors Leslie Norman and Joseph Losey bring us a tale of slow-moving space slime that terrorizes a Scottish military base. Only an American scientist and his Atomic Energy Agency liaison stand in the way of face-melting global dominance.

While not a homerun like some of the other films discussed in this series, there's a good deal to like in X The Unknown--a fact that Ian gradually learns in real time, thanks to a handful of post-viewing insights and trivia provided by the ever-patient AC! Join us for a look at "The Blob before The Blob"!

Note: As mentioned in the video, this review was recorded in late May--almost exactly a month ago. After several weeks of nail-biting computer drama, I realized the video footage had not, in fact, been eaten. I recovered the conversation and am ecstatic to share it with you. Enjoy!

Subscribe, like, and comment on Kicking the Seat here on YouTube, and check us out at:

• kickseat.com

• X

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Show Links

• Watch the X The Unknown (1956) trailer.

• Read AC's written review of The Phantom of the Opera at Horror 101 with Dr. AC!

• Order AC's books on essential and obscure horror movies, Horror 101 and Hidden Horror!

• Subscribe to AC's YouTube channel, Horror 101 with Dr. AC.

• Grab only what you can carry as we "Escape from Hammerland"!

• Hitch a ride with our entire 2024 series in the "Return to Hammerland" Playlist!

• It’s not too late to catch up with our 2023 trip “Beyond Hammerland”!

• Check out 2022's year-long journey, "Son of Hammerland"!

• And watch the series that started it all: "Hammerland"

In 1972, Bernardo Bertolucci's Last Tango in Paris pierced the cinema landscape with its gritty and unrelenting portrayal of animalistic sex, grief, and urban malaise.

Marlon Brando stars as Paul, a recent middle-aged widower who meets 20-year-old Jeanne (Maria Schneider) while looking for an apartment. The two decide to shack up for three hedonistic days, blocking out the sad concerns of the world outside. The result is a portrait of mutual and self-destruction, helmed by a director so bent on "authenticity" that he permitted an actual assault to take place on his set.

This year, co-writer/director Jessica Palud brought us Being Maria, a biopic about Schneider and the aftermath of Last Tango's scandalous shoot/release, with Matt Dillon and Anamaria Vartolomei turning in commendable interpretations of the film's iconic actors.

In today's episode, Ian and David examine both films and walk through the various reasons neither come close to being as memorable (or, frankly, as good) as they ought to be--outside the sensationalism inherent in the infamous "butter" scene. They also look at critic Pauline Kael's 1972 New Yorker review and how it brushes right up against contemporary social mores.

Show Links

• Watch the Being Maria (2025) trailer.

• Being Maria is now available On Demand and on Blu-ray, courtesy of Kino Lorber.

• Keep up with all of David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.

• As mentioned in the show, you can read critic Pauline Kael's 1972 review of Last Tango in Paris.

• Plus! Listen to Ian and David's other recent (and very raucous) reviews of:

  • The Unholy Trinity (2025)

  • A Real Pain (2025)

  • Rebel Ridge (2024)

  • Duchess (2024)

  • The Old Oak (2024)

  • What Remains (2024)

Dreamworks has entered the "live action remake" arena with How to Train Your Dragon, and Earth's Mightiest Critics have a take or two on the déjà vu!

Dean DeBlois returns with an update of the 2010 animated hit, which he co-directed with Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch, The Wild Robot). He's riding solo this time and, depending on who you ask, the "new" version is either so faithful that it puts Disney's recent live-action efforts in their place--or renders the whole experience "toothless"!

This week's EMC panel promises fire-breathing spectacle nonpareil, as our animated animation fans present both POV's with gusto!

Join us for a look at the good, the bad and the repetitive. We also take your questions, comments, and SuperChats!

Subscribe, like, and comment on Kicking the Seat here on YouTube, and check us out at:

• kickseat.com

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• BlueSky

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Show Links

• Watch the How to Train Your Dragon (2010) trailer.

• Watch the How to Train Your Dragon (2025) trailer.

• Bonus! Catch the "Target Audience's" take on the new How to Train Your Dragon film, with Ian and Luke's latest review!

• Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:

  • Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.

  • Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.

  • Get seated with The Blonde in Front!

  • Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.

  • Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…

    • ...And Film Obsessive

    • ...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.

  • Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue.

    • ...and We Got This Covered.

  • Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.

  • And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield’s Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

Forget comic book movies and video game adaptations: low-budget Westerns are charging over the pop culture horizon!

Today, Ian and David look at Richard Gray's The Unholy Trinity, starring Pierce Brosnan, Samuel L. Jackson, and Brandon Lessard. Unlike many of the Saban Films the guys have reviewed in the past, this one is actually out in theatres--and one of your two intrepid hosts heartily recommends it!

Yes, this twisty tale of multi-pronged revenge, found family, and buried gold is either a standard-issue I-guess-we-can-shoot-here cash grab, or it's an above-average adventure with witty dialogue, unexpectedly fun developments, and a main cast that does far more than sleepwalk across the plains!

Notice, we said "main cast".

In this spoiler-lite episode, Ian and David talk about the perils of casting modern young actors in period parts--along with how The Unholy Trinity stumbles as much as it strides, and whether you should rush out to the theater or wait 'til it hits home (on the range)!

Subscribe, like, and comment on Kicking the Seat here on YouTube, and check us out at:

• kickseat.com

• X

• Letterboxd

• BlueSky

• Instagram

• Facebook

Show Links

• Watch the The Unholy Trinity (2025) trailer.

• Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:

  • Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.

  • Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.

  • Get seated with The Blonde in Front!

  • Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.

  • Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…

    • ...And Film Obsessive

    • ...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.

  • Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue.

    • ...and We Got This Covered.

  • And make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.

Ian and Luke return with a high-flying review of Dreamworks' live-action How to Train Your Dragon remake!

The Simmons family caught a sneak peak of the new film earlier this week (in IMAX, no less!) and are here to share their thoughts on how it stacks up to the 2010 animated movie--and how someone who's never seen the original, or its sequels, is affected by this action-packed period fantasy (one of your two hosts is brand new to the series)!

So cozy up by the (dragon-lit) fire and enjoy this spoiler-free review!

Subscribe, like, and comment on Kicking the Seat here on YouTube, and check us out at:

• kickseat.com

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Show Links

• Watch the How to Train Your Dragon (2025) trailer.

• Catch up with all of Ian and Luke's reviews in our "Target Audience" Playlist!

2025 is shaping up to be the Year of Stephen King, with three films and one TV series adaptations of his work on offer for rabid fans. This week, Earth's Mightiest Critics look at Mike Flanagan's The Life of Chuck, a very different kind of King movie--inspired by a very different kind of King short story!

Chuck Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) is an accountant whose imminent retirement is advertised on billboards all over town. Most residents are too busy worrying about rampant Internet outages, colossal natural disasters, and mysterious sinkholes to notice. But soon, Chuck's likeness becomes impossible to escape. How does this relate to dancing? And why are people calling this bizarre, end-of-the-world scenario an uplifting film?

The answers are as tricky as The Life of Chuck's asynchronous structure. Join us for a spoilerific look at one of 2025's best films--and one of the most faithful book-to-screen adaptations you'll ever see!

We also take your questions, comments and SuperChats!

Subscribe, like, and comment on Kicking the Seat here on YouTube, and check us out at:

• kickseat.com

• X

• Letterboxd

• BlueSky

• Instagram

• Facebook

Show Links

• Watch the The Life of Chuck (2025) trailer.

• Read Ian's The Life of Chuck written review.

• Flashback to our February livestream about The Monkey (which we'll definitely talk about in this show!).

• As mentioned in the show, Ian recently debated The Life of Chuck on the Mindframes podcast, hosted by Dave Canfield and Mike Cockerill.

• And subscribe to Dave's new Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

• Oddly enough, this week's Spoiler Room Podcast centered on The Giant Spider Invasion--which is also the subject of Dave's latest Substack piece! Coincidence? Or part of a grand plan?!

• Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:

  • Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.

  • Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.

  • Get seated with The Blonde in Front!

  • Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.

  • Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…

    • ...And Film Obsessive

    • ...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.

  • Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue.

    • ...and We Got This Covered.

  • And make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.

It's time for another "Credito Extra" edition of Accademia Giallo, as Ian welcomes Guido and Lucas Henkel, the father/son powerhouse behind the phenomenal new indie genre label, Celluloid Dreams!

In this episode, the Henkels talk about the origins of their boutique home video company, and offer insights into just what it takes when you're determined to do it all, to exacting standards. From securing rights to 4K restoration; from choosing which films are "Dreams-worthy" to figuring out physical extras and bonus features--you'll learn a little bit of everything in an episode centered around the guys' latest release, Aldo Lado's 1971 head trip, Short Night of Glass Dolls!

Celluloid Dreams' new 4-disc 4K UHD Short Night of Glass Dolls set is now available!

Subscribe, like, and comment on Kicking the Seat here on YouTube, and check us out at:

• kickseat.com

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Show Links

• Watch the Short Night of Glass Dolls (1971) trailer.

• Take a refresher course on our Short Night of Glass Dolls roundtable from 2023!

• Support all of our terrifying teachers' axe-tracurricular activities!

  • Stay studious with Aaron Christensen at Horror101 with Dr. AC!

  • And subscribe to his YouTube channel!

  • If you dare, venture down into Kitley's Krypt with Jon Kitley!

    • And listen to Jon's scary-good podcast, Discover the Horror!

  • Stalk Bryan Martinez in The Giallo Room!

  • Buy J. Blake Fichera's "Scored to Death" Volume I and II on Amazon (mentioned in the show).

    • Catch up with classic episodes of his Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers podcast!

• Continue your education with our "Accademia Giallo" Playlist!

The Class of '95 graduates this week with a look at one of that year's most memorable cult hits--and biggest flops: Empire Records!

Allan Moyle's bewildering follow-up to his generational anthem, Pump up the Volume, tracks a day in the life of several record store employees whose love lives and futures are as questionable as their tastes in music. Featuring a cast packed with soon-to-be-famous young actors, the offbeat comedy is known more for its memes (yes, this is where "Rex Manning Day" comes from) than its overall quality.

Is it still a flannel-draped cringe-fest, three decades on? Or does Empire Records (whose soundtrack famously sold more than the film it promoted) deserve some respect?

Join us as we damn the Man, save the Empire, and take your questions, comments, and SuperChats!

Subscribe, like, and comment on Kicking the Seat here on YouTube, and check us out at:

• kickseat.com

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• BlueSky

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Show Links

• Watch the Empire Records (1995) trailer.

• Here are the Empire Records deleted scenes mentioned in the show.

• And here's the full video for Rex Manning's "Say No More Mon Amour"!

• Check out our other "Class of '95" episodes!

• Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:

  • Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.

  • Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.

  • Get seated with The Blonde in Front!

  • Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.

  • Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…

    • ...And Film Obsessive

    • ...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.

  • Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue.

    • ...and We Got This Covered.

  • And make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.

IndieSeen welcomes Steve Martini and Gabriela Kulaif from the indie comedy, BitterSweet!

In February, Ian and Sujewa reviewed the film, which centers on an autistic man named Sam (writer/director/star Martini), whose life spins out of control following a domestic misunderstanding involving the cops. Gabriela produced the film and stars as Sam's wife, Gigi.

Join us for a special live edition of IndieSeen, as Steve and Gabriel talk about the genesis and filming of Bittersweet; just how closely this screwball, city-spanning comedy is "based on true events", and next week's limited theatrical engagement at LA's Laemmle Theaters--where you can participate in live Q&A events!

We'll also take your questions, comments and SuperChats!

Subscribe, like, and comment on Kicking the Seat here on YouTube, and check us out at:

• kickseat.com

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• BlueSky

• Instagram

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Show Links

• Watch the Bittersweet trailer.

• Info on theaters, tickets, and times for the upcoming Laemmle Theaters BitterSweet events can be found here.

• Follow BitterSweet on Instagram to keep up with the latest updates!

• Watch Ian and Sujewa's review of BitterSweet.

• Catch up with last month's episode, which featured a review of Woody Allen's Stardust Memories and some initial thoughts on Cannes!

• Subscribe to Raphael's smash hit podcast Inside the Arthouse with Greg Laemmle!

• As mentioned in the show, Raphael will next appear in the HBO Max series, Task! Watch the trailer here!

• Support Sujewa's new film project, 53 Spaceships, the latest adventure of Cosmic Disco Detective Rene!

• Check out Sujewa's latest podcast venture, This Arthouse Life!

• Watch Sujewa's latest film, Cosmic Disco Detective Rene for free on YouTube!

• Rent The Secret Society for Slow Romance (the predecessor to Cosmic Disco Detective Rene).

• Follow Sujewa on X.

• Check out all the episodes in our “IndieSeen” Playlist!

Just when you thought it was safe to write off another killer-shark movie--here comes Sean Byrne's Dangerous Animals to mangle your expectations!

Friendly Australian tourist boat operator Bruce Tucker (Jai Courtney) loves taking young couples on shark-feeding tours in the heart of the ocean--only trouble is, he feeds his customers to the sharks! Enter Zephyr, a free-spirited surfer played by Hassie Harrison. After being kidnapped by Tucker, she must fight her way out of the bowels of his vessel before he can turn her into chum.

In this spoilerific (you've been warned) panel discussion, Ian, Cati, and David heap praise on Byrne's thriller--while also talking about some of the off-putting character dynamics that almost (ahem) sunk the story for one of them.

They also talk about Jai Courtney's stunning transformation into a real actor and lament the state of movie trailers--with Dangerous Animals being Exhibit A!

Subscribe, like, and comment on Kicking the Seat here on YouTube, and check us out at:

• kickseat.com

• X

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• BlueSky

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Show Links

• Watch the Dangerous Animals (2025) trailer: (don’t watch it until after you've seen the movie--trust us!).

• As mentioned in the show, the EMC also reviewed another new horror movie, Bring Her Back! Watch that discussion here.

• Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:

  • Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.

  • Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.

  • Get seated with The Blonde in Front!

  • Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.

  • Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…

    • ...And Film Obsessive

    • ...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.

  • Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue.

    • ...and We Got This Covered.

  • And make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.